Forbidden Fruit
by cynet
Summary: What will happen when Edward returns from three years in Italy and meets his best friend Jake's girlfriend Bella? Are Jacob's actions unforgivable? J/B, E/B, J/? ALL HUMAN. M for lemons. This is my first fanfic. Please Read and Review!
1. High School Sweethearts

Jacob's POV

Bella and I had known each other for years – our dads had been best friends since who knows when. Whenever she'd come to visit her dad in the summers, she'd spend a lot of time down in La Push, and we'd go hiking and ride our bikes and run around on the beach. We'd each seen each other go through all the awkward phases of braces, acne, "cooties" and growth spurts.

The summer before our junior year, Renee had gotten remarried in July and so Bella had come to live with Charlie. She arrived in late August, rather than her usual June, and something had changed about her. In the last year since I'd seen her, Bella had grown into her body, filled out her curves, finally figured out how to manage her hair, and got at least a better grip on fashion. My childhood friend, who had often thrown mud at me, was now _hot_. Junior year had been awkward, me stuttering when I tried to talk to her, and her, noticing my discomfort, responding with her own blushes – I had grown up, too. I had finally managed to ask her out last February – for Valentine's day – and she'd said yes. We'd been together for the past seven months, going to prom together, and spending our summer hanging out.

It was the first day of our senior year (my dad had decided to send me off the reservation for high school), and I had just picked up Bella from Charlie's house. She was wearing jeans and a brown peasant top, the exact color of her eyes – I loved that color – and her hair was up in a ponytail with slight wisps at the side of her face. Her eyes found mine, and she had greeted me with a grin.

I drove into the parking lot of Forks High School, a little bit early just to be on the safe side, and pulled into the parking spot closest to the building that Bella's homeroom was in. The Rabbit's stereo filled the air with the latest Muse album. I quickly reached across the front seat and hesitated momentarily before I pecked Bella on the cheek. She had had her eyes closed, listening to the music, and she jumped slightly at my touch. She looked into my eyes and smiled – God, that smile, it makes my stomach do backflips – and her cheeks reddened slightly. She gently stroked my face, got a mischievious gleam in her eye and then kissed me right on the mouth. I kissed her back enthusiastically. Our eyes closed and our lips moved together, like they were made for each other. I put my left hand on her waist and squeezed lightly. She put her left arm around my neck, pulling me in closer, and the fingers of her right hand gently gripped my left forearm. My heart accelerated, every beat pulsing through my veins making my head more cloudy, already heady with her scent – mmm, strawberries.... I moaned and took her bottom lip between mine and sucked on it. She made a higher-pitched sound of impatience in the back of her throat. My hair was now getting a little shaggy, since I buzz it all off at the beginning of each summer. Bella ran her hand through the hair on the back of my head, trying to push my face closer to hers. She opened her mouth wider, and I slipped my tongue just barely past her teeth, as if asking if her tongue wanted to come out and play. Her tongue flicked against mine, while her lips still roamed across my lips, as if by moving against them, she could weld our lips together.

It was getting close to the time to head into school, the parking lot was filling up and our classmates were beginning to make their way to their classes. A few witnessed our morning make-out session; I heard a few snickers as I pulled away from Bella, and reached to turn off the stereo. Bella, still flushed, took a quick minute to right herself, double checking her hair and makeup and slightly straightening her shirt.

"God, I never get tired of that, Bells." I leaned back on seat, with my head laying on the headrest while I collected myself.

"It _is_ a nice way to start off the day, isn't it?" she smirked.

"Ready for our senior year?" I asked her, smiling wide and winking at her.

"I guess as ready as I'll ever be," Bella sighed. "I'm so not looking forward to my advanced math class. This summer has been a nice break from seeing Lauren's face every day, but at least I'll get to see Angela again. Her family just got back last night from their end-of-summer camping trip."

"This year is gonna be great. I can feel it. You and me, together, and … oh, uh, I don't think I mentioned this to you, but my best friend Edward is back in town."

Bella frowned, looking like she was trying to recall something, and coming up blank. "I don't think I've ever met him…"

"Yeah, he's been gone awhile. His family used to live here, but right before ninth grade his dad, Dr. Cullen, got a medical research fellowship in Italy."

"Wow, three years in Italy," Bella said, impressed.

"It's at the same hospital that Dr. Cullen worked at during the summers, that's why they were never here when you visited Charlie. That's strange, that you guys just never met… They're back now, though, so Edward's gonna finish up school in Forks with his twin sister Alice, but I don't know if his older sibs, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, will be in town, though."

Bella nodded, and then looked a little apprehensive. "Does he know about me, I mean, about you and me? Edward's known you a lot longer. I'm excited to meet him because it sounds like you guys are really close, but what if he doesn't like me? That'll be kind of awkward."

Silly Bella. Sometimes she could be so confident, but other times so self-conscious. I had become so in tune with all the little quirks in her personality. It was endearing – all the more so since we started going out – the way her eyebrows crinkled together and she bit her lip when she worried about something. "Don't worry, Bells. I'm sure he's gonna love you." I reassured her. "I can't think of why anyone wouldn't think you're great. You're smart and funny and interesting and playful and… sexy," I leaned my head in closer to hers, locking my eyes with hers, making her blush.

"I mean, what's not to love…?" I breathed. "Your big beautiful browns…" I kissed her eyelids, as she looked down, embarrassed. "Your cheeks, when you blush…" I stroked down her cheek. "Your lips, when you bite them like that… God, you don't know how sexy that is…" I growled.

Just then we heard the first bell, telling us that we had five minutes until homeroom started. Bella sighed in exasperation. I groaned.

"Crap. We better get going." I grabbed both of our book bags out of the Rabbit's backseat – mm, the backseat, I don't know how many times "her spending the afternoon watching me work on the Rabbit out in the garage" (which is what I told my dad what we were doing) had turned into heavy-duty make-out sessions. I walked her to her homeroom, with our hands around each other's waists. I quickly kissed the top of her head as I handed her bag to her. "I'll meet you after English to go to lunch, 'kay?"

"Can't wait, Jake." She smiled once more, back over her shoulder, and disappeared inside the classroom. I watched her back profile. _God, those jeans look great on her, shaping her ass like that, I just want to..._


	2. Angels

Edward's POV

We had finally gotten back three days ago from Italy, and had been unpacking ever since. Jake had emailed me that he had a new girlfriend, well not new, since they'd been together awhile now. He had told me about her a few months back, and emailed me a picture of the two of them from junior year, taken in late February. She was a brunette, with pale skin, brown eyes and soft pink lips, a lot shorter than Jake. It must have been something about the lighting – maybe they had been around a campfire? – but she just seemed kind of plain. It was evident, though, from the way they were laughing in the photo and the twinkle in their eyes, that they were happy together, and I was happy for Jake that he had someone.

As for me, there were a few girls who had caught my attention – a few stolen kisses in dark corridors at school and weekend parties throughout high school – but nothing that had ever become serious. More often than not, I found that the hotter a girl was, the more flaky, superficial and gossipy she was. They just wanted to say to their girlfriends – and the rest of the school – that they were with _Edward Cullen_, the "hot American". They just wanted the social status. Couldn't we just have a normal conversation, without them trying to make it into a show for whoever was around us? You can't really be in a relationship with someone, if you can't stand to be around them when they're talking, even if they are beautiful.

Alice was so excited to be back in Forks. She was bouncing around the house, making sure everything was ready for the first day of school, for new classes and new people and the chance to wear her new outfits. It would be nice to meet some new people, but my hopes weren't too high for new blood. It was Forks after all. I was glad I'd get to see Jake again, but hoped that his new girlfriend wouldn't be too much to handle, not like the girls back at my Italian high school.

"Jeez, Alice, calm down," I said, as I drove us to school in the Volvo.

"I'm just so excited! We'll get to see Jake again, and meet his new girlfriend – oh, I hope we'll be best friends right away! And all the people we haven't seen in years, I wonder how everyone turned out. I mean, we're seniors! This is just going to be the best year ever. I wonder if there will be any cute guys…? I know, I know, it's Forks, but still a girl can hope, right?..." Alice went on like that the entire ride to the high school, through the parking lot, and into homeroom, ogling a few guys on the way in. Our homerooms were organized alphabetically according to last names, so I was expecting that Alice, Jake and I would be in homeroom together – Forks High wasn't big enough to have that many homeroom classes for the B's and the C's to be split up.

Alice danced gracefully from the back of the classroom down the rows of desks to the second row in the class, and plopped down into an unoccupied chair next to someone she evidently thought was cute and right away engaged in enthusiastic small talk.

I glanced around the room, and saw Jake on the other side of the classroom, his eyes on Alice, recognizing her messy pixie haircut. He looked around, expecting to find me following close behind, and he got up to greet me.

"Cullen! Man, long time no see. Back in Forks."

"Yeah, good to see you too, Black." We shook hands and quickly man-hugged with a pat on the back. He slugged me on the shoulder, and sat back down on the top edge of his chair with one leg up on the seat. I put my stuff down on the seat next to his, and we chatted a little before class.

He mentioned that he'd introduce me to his girlfriend, Bella, at lunch. His eyes lit up when he mentioned her. "You're gonna love her, man. She's great. I don't know what it is about her, but she's just… perfect. I wish everyone- I wish you could find someone like her. I just want to be with her all the time. And when we are together, alone together…. Yeah…." He smirked mischieviously.

I chuckled. "Jake, she sounds awesome. I'm happy for you. Can't wait to meet her." Inside, I believed Jake when he talked about her like that, but I was still skeptical. I just hadn't ever met a girl that impressed me that much.

Biology was my third class of the day. I was a little early, so when I sat down at a lab table there wasn't anyone in the seat next to me. As people filtered in, I noticed them eyeing the available seats, trying to decide where to sit, but no one opted for the one next to mine. Being easily recognizable as the new kid, for the third class in a row I was sized up by everyone in the class as they came in. My bronze hair was perfectly gelled to look exactly like I hadn't done anything to it, my clothes were subtle yet fashionable (thanks to Alice and living in Italy for the past three years), and with my right arm resting over the back of my chair I lounged comfortably, pencil in my left hand, tapping it on my notebook, waiting for class to start. The guys tried to gauge whether I was competition – most concluded that I was. As for the girls, obvious by their giggles, their eyes wandering over my body and hastily turning away as I caught them, and their whispers to each other, I was eye candy, but too sweet to actually strike up a conversation with. It looks like I won't be making many new friends this year. At least I have Jake to hang out with, and Alice, when she's not running around with her new boy-toy, which I'm sure she's found by now.

The classroom was almost full and the teacher had just came in when I happened to notice one last girl walking in late. She was a little flushed, and she began to walk hurriedly down the row of lab tables so as not to be caught still standing when the teacher started class. Just then, the sleeve of her arm was caught by another girl who was seated already. These two girls embraced and jumped up and down a couple of times, the late girl squealing her friend Angela's name and starting a quick, whispered conversation, apparently updating each other on their lives since the last time they met.

As I watched her, I took in the way her hands and lips moved when she was excitedly talking to Angela, the way the end of her ponytail rested lightly between her shoulder blades, the way her cheeks were flushed evenly with rosy pink. Her complexion was perfect, her lips were soft but full. Her deep penetrating chocolate brown eyes held some secret in them, but also an awareness, a special wisdom. I could tell from those eyes that she was kind and confident and happy with life, that she became happy when others were happy and didn't hold it against them. Completely thrown off-balance by her effect on me, I straightened up, glanced quickly around, adjusted my blazer, went to run my hands through my hair, but thought better of it, all in one quick and instantly nervous action. I looked back at her.

The way the curve of her shoulder blades ran down her back to her waist and slightly out again over her jeans made her posture impeccable but she managed it so easily and gracefully that it seemed she could not be shaped any other way. Her laugh was melodious and true, not abrasive like the way so many of the girls I knew back in Italy giggled.

Aware that the teacher was about to start class, the late girl quickly touched Angela on the arm, promising to catch up more after class, and turned to continue down the row of tables in search of her own seat. She still had a smile on her face from catching up with Angela, and when she noticed that the only empty seat was the one next to me, she looked up and met my eyes, which were still staring at her, taking all of her form and mannerisms in. She stopped in her tracks for a fraction of a second, instantly blushed, readjusted the strap of her book bag and brushed a wisp of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail back behind her ear. As I looked her straight in the face, something about the curve of her upper lip, the line of her nose and the tilt of her eyes made me feel a bit of déjà vu. Had I met her before? I would definitely remember meeting her, this exquisite and elegant angel. She didn't seem to be the three-years-older version of anyone I had known before we moved away. But I couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, I had just been picturing similar facial features in my mind…

She looked down at her feet and hurried to take her spot next to me, avoiding looking my way as the teacher began class. Our Biology teacher was new to the school this year, so he didn't know any of the students. He took attendance in order to start to familiarize himself with our names.

"Adams, Steven."

"Here." A guy in the back row who looked like he wanted to be on the football field replied, flexing his biceps with his fingers crossed behind his head, and sighed in boredom.

"Buford, Molly."

"Here." A girl with a long blond braid down her back answered from the front row

"Cullen, Edward."

At the sound of my name, the girl who sat next to me lifted her head up from the doodles she had been making on her notebook cover, looked at the teacher, then glanced around the room.

Fascinated and puzzled by her reaction, I said, "Here," with my eyes looking at the back of her head.

Her head whipped around, and she looked me straight in the eye, her eyes widened, eyebrows raised and lips slightly parted. As her ponytail whirled behind her, the scent of strawberries bloomed in the air, rushing over me, intoxicating me. It was so different from the chemical perfumes that all of the girls at my old school drenched themselves in. I felt my upper body lean into that scent, but I stopped the movement as soon as I realized what I was doing and my eyelids fluttered in shock at my reaction. How is it possible that someone could smell that wonderful, that mouth-watering? It was like a siren call. Her cheeks, having finally returned to normal from when she was walking to her seat, instantly reddened again. She took in a breath slowly, and in that split second when our eyes met again I saw the cogs working in her brain, but on what, I had no idea. How did she know my name? I hadn't been in Forks for years. Did she know something about me? The only person I had ever really been good friends with before we left for Italy was…. Jacob.

_No._

Could it be? Could this be…?

She hurried back to her doodles, but not before I mentally compared that plain girl in the photograph that Jacob had sent me with the embodiment of divine beauty and grace that sat two feet away.

The teacher continued down his list of names. "Stanley, Jessica."

"He-ere," a perky, small-framed girl sitting at the table opposite mine sang her response while flipping through her textbook.

"Swan, Isabella." The girl at my table looked up, raised her hand slightly to help the teacher find her, spoke a quiet "Here, but I go by just Bella, actually," and quickly glanced in my direction, then back down to her notebook. But not before I saw the now-familiar blush on her face.

Bella._ Jacob's Bella. Fuck my life._


	3. Greek Gods

Bella's POV

On the way to school, I focused on the Muse song that was playing. I don't know what to say, they just satisfy my soul. I could listen all day. I hadn't even noticed we had stopped until I felt Jacob's full, warm lips on my cheek. God those lips, in this car, on my skin. So many possibilities, so little time. _Groan_.

I looked into his dark smoldering eyes, and melted a little bit. His eyes never failed to have that effect on me. That first day I moved to Forks to live here permanently, I realized that the little boy I used to run around and play with had grown up into this wonderful, caring, kind and extremely and incredibly _hot_ man whose face was inches from my face right now. It had taken us awhile to get over our teenage awkwardness, but we finally revealed how we felt about each other and the last seven months had been wonderful.

I brought my hands up to his face, his russet skin in a striking yet beautiful contrast to my own pale tone. I knew we only had a few minutes before school started, and I was aware of our classmates filing past us on their way to their classrooms. I'd specifically picked this outfit because he loves the color of my eyes and my shirt matched perfectly. He could never resist these jeans, either. I smirked and then reached out with my lips to grab his, wanting to make the most of the little time we had left before the first bell. He reached over the seat divider and grasped my waist. I loved it when he held me like that, and I had to have more of him, _right now_. I wrapped my arm around his neck and reached for his other arm, needing more contact with his skin. I could taste his skin, a very natural and woodsy flavor with a hint of spice and vanilla, almost like chocolate chip cookies mixed with bonfire. He began teasing my mouth. I became impatient and made a high-pitched moan to let him know it. There was no way I'd break our kiss to use words to let him know it, not now. My hand grabbed the hair at the back of his neck – I loved having this makeshift handle on him – and opened my mouth just a little bit, daring him to keep going. Shivers ran through my body when my tongue found his and I darted my tongue out to taste him, more of him. I breathed the scent of his skin in, satisfying my desire and need for him, filling up now on what I could get so that the next few hours without access to his embrace wouldn't leave me hungry.

My senses were full of him when he pulled away, and the reality of classes and school and propriety were brought back to my consciousness by a few giggles I heard through my open window. I rolled my eyes and, feeling my heart rate calm down slightly, I looked into the mirror, making sure I looked at least half-way presentable.

"God, I never get tired of that, Bells." Jake's voice, especially so content as it was now, caused my heart to jump into over-drive again.

"It _is_ a nice way to start off the day, isn't it?" I replied, smiling in anticipation of tomorrow morning, and the morning after that, and the morning after that…

"Ready for our senior year?" Jake winked at me, suggestively.

"I guess as ready as I'll ever be." My brain tried to process the pain of the upcoming math problems I would have to deal with, while at the same time coming off the high that I always got from spending time with Jacob. Sighing, I admitted, "I'm so not looking forward to my advanced math class. This summer has been a nice break from seeing Lauren's face every day, but at least I'll get to see Angela again. Her family just got back last night from their end-of-summer camping trip."

"This year is gonna be great. I can feel it." Jake's eyes lit up reassuringly. "You and me, together, and … oh, uh, I don't think I mentioned this to you, but my best friend Edward is back in town."

Best friend Edward? Edward… Edward… Nope, drawing a blank. Maybe he had mentioned it but I had been so distracted by the way his lips had been moving to actually pay attention to the words he had been saying…. Possible. It happened often enough. I hoped he would give me some more information to work with, since I would probably be meeting this Edward sooner or later – you know the situation, "Best Friend, meet Girlfriend", no, not awkward at all… "I don't think I've ever met him…"

"Yeah, he's been gone awhile. His family used to live here, but right before ninth grade his dad, Dr. Cullen, got a medical research fellowship in Italy," Jacob informed me.

Wow, he had lived in Italy for three years! "Wow, three years in Italy." That's pretty much the coolest thing I've ever heard. I would love to travel, to see all the places I'd read about and been taught about during the seemingly endless years I'd spent in the public school system. Hmm, but I wonder if he'll have picked up any Italian sensibilities. Milan or Rome or Venice are all a bit more high-brow than Forks. Jake's not giving me any information on what this guy's like, as far as his personality goes. Gee, you think that if they were best friends, I would have met him at some point during the several whole summers I'd spent in Forks before high school…

"The fellowship was at the same hospital that Dr. Cullen worked at during the summers, that's why they were never here when you visited Charlie. That's strange, that you guys just never met… They're back now, though, so Edward's gonna finish up school in Forks with his twin sister Alice, but I don't know if his older sibs, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, will be in town, though."

Well, that explains things. Gosh, they haven't seen each other in three years. Best Friend Edward comes back and now Jake's got Girlfriend Bella. What if Edward and I don't get along? This past summer, Jake and I were nearly inseparable. I know it's important for guys to have guy friends, but the thought that our time together, our time _alone_, might be intruded upon, that he might have to choose between spending time with me and spending time with his best friend, made my stomach squirm, and I hoped that when I did meet Edward, things went along without a hitch. I asked Jake, "Does he know about me, I mean, about you and me? Edward's known you a lot longer. I'm excited to meet him because it sounds like you guys are really close, but what if he doesn't like me? That'll be kind of awkward."

"Don't worry, Bells." I love it when he uses his nickname for me. My insides go to mush, and I just want to jump back into his arms. "I'm sure he's gonna love you. I can't think of why anyone wouldn't think you're great. You're smart and funny and interesting and playful and … sexy" _Tha-thump_, _tha-thump_, went my heart, starting to pound harder in my chest. "I mean, what's not to love… your big beautiful browns…," he barely talked above a whisper now, not taking his eyes from mine. I felt my cheeks flush with heat, and I looked down, embarrassed by his praise and also because of his effect on my body, yet again, when he kissed both of my eyelids for emphasis. "Your cheeks when you blush…," His hand reached up and the tips of his fingers gently pressed against my face. "Your lips, when you bite them like that… God you don't know how sexy that is…"

His growl resonated from his chest, and really, this time I about jumped him. In glaring contrast to the beautiful sound he had just made, the first bell filled the air with nerve-grating pulses, calling all students to their homerooms. I sighed and Jake groaned at the interruption.

Jake walked me to my homeroom and promised to meet up with me after my fourth-period English class so we could walk to lunch together. The only class we shared was Gym, which was absurdly improbable; considering the size of the high school population, usually you were bound to have several classes with the same people. I could feel him watching me as I walked away, knowing his eyes were focusing on my butt in these jeans. _Oh yeah, I'm good._

I suffered my way through my first-hour math. _Gotta resume that caffeine addiction_. My second-hour Spanish actually was engaging, since by now we knew enough to actually have conversations in class. I was looking forward to Biology, which I had third-hour with Angela. Our discussion in Spanish went a couple minutes over, so I was running late to Biology. I saw Jake across the courtyard as he was going into his classroom, and he smiled and waved at me. I wiggled my fingers and blew him a kiss, blushing at our exchange and fighting the urge to giggle. I'd never been a giggler. What had Jake done to me this summer? He grinned wider and it looked like he took a slow, deep breath as he watched me.

There were just a few other stragglers outside now, so I practically broke into a run until I reached the door to the Biology lab room. I let myself in quietly behind the teacher, and tried to quickly get a seat before he could notice I was later than he was. I felt a slight relief to see that several people were still talking and standing around. I had passed one row of lab tables, when I felt my sleeve catch on something. I turned and saw Angela grabbing my shirt to catch my attention.

"Angela! Oh my gosh, you're back! How did your trip go?" We jumped up and down in excitement, and I hugged her. She told me a few things that happened with her family on the trip, and then she totally gushed when she told me that Ben had started up a conversation with her in homeroom, and he definitely seemed interested. She wondered whether he was going to ask her out, and she thought that he was "kinda cute", but with a suggestive tilt to her head that told me she thought he was more than a little cute. She looked like she was really hoping that he would ask her out, and I encouraged her to see if she could talk to him at lunch again. She asked me about Jake, and I blushed and told her things were still going great, that he had driven me to school, and when we had gotten to school early, we couldn't keep our hands off each other.

I quickly looked up at the teacher, and noticing he was almost ready to start class, I shifted my bag more securely on my shoulder and told her I'd fill her in more after class. I searched the room for an empty chair, in vain until finally I found the last one. Wondering who my lab partner would be for the rest of the year, I looked at the boy who sat next to the empty seat. I had never seen him before – must be a new kid; we always have at least a couple every year, but it must be strange to transfer for your senior year… I took in his tall, lanky frame in a split second. This boy was_ extremely_ well-dressed, something you don't often see in Forks. His dark grey wool blazer was almost the length of a trench coat, covering a white dress shirt, which was unbuttoned at the top, and grey vest with white pin-stripes. His dark blue jeans, what I could see of them, anyway, were fitted, not too tight, but well-cut to emphasize the magnificence of his physique. It was almost as if he'd stepped off a runway, his clothes either tailored or designer, but in a classy, subtle way. His hair was the strangest shade of brown I'd ever seen, almost metallic in its luminescence, conjuring an image in my mind of the bronze statues we had studied in art history last year. It was gelled in a messy way that I could tell was intentional. But the thing that struck me the most was his eyes, which were locked on me, as if trying to penetrate me and understand everything about me just by looking. They were green, the clearest green I ever could have imagined, hypnotizing me from across the room. My heart started to pound. Hard and fast.

Realizing that a complete stranger had literally stopped me in my tracks just by his hypnotic gaze, my face flashed red and I hiked up my book bag again, just to have something to handle. I felt my hair graze and tickle my face and I shoved the offending piece back. I saw his eyes follow my movements and, looking awkwardly down at my feet to make sure I didn't trip, I hastily plopped down into the vacant seat next to this god, and willed myself to not search for those green eyes again. The teacher began class with roll-call, and I allowed myself to space out for a little bit and doodle on my notebook, knowing it would take awhile to get to the S's.

Why had he been looking at me like that? At first, it was like he couldn't look away, and then as I was walking toward him, it seemed as if he'd been asking a question with his eyes, trying to find something in what he was looking at, or remember something… He didn't even know me, why did it seem like he had been trying to search my soul for answers?

"Cullen, Edward." I was jostled out of my contemplation. _What?_ Edward Cu-… Jake… I only now even remembered that Jake exists! Jake's friend was in my Biology class. As I looked around the room, it dawned on me that I had only seen one new kid on my way in… My heart stopped. Then resumed at twice the speed that could possibly have been healthy.

"Here." _Oh my God_. My head flew around to face him, sure that that word had just been uttered by the impeccably-clad deity to my left. My brain wouldn't work correctly. My eyes had stumbled over the beauty of his features, and now my mind stumbled over this connection to Jake. As I stared at him, into the brilliant green abyss that were his eyes, his perfectly muscled chest moved half a foot closer to me, as if pulled by a string. And I felt as if I were pulling that string, pulling him closer to me. He stopped like that string had been cut abruptly and he blinked, as if he was as surprised as me by the decreased distance between us. I felt an immediate sense of loss as yet again that connection was broken with him, and my mind began to race in so many directions. Could this really be Jacob's friend? What was this…, this elemental pull that I, and it looked like he as well, had just experienced? Oh God. If this was Edward Cullen…, Jake had obviously told him my name. Did he know what I looked like? Did he know that I was Jake's, his best friend's, girlfriend? We were going to be lab partners for the whole year. He was going to find out my name in a matter of seconds anyway, stupid attendance, stupid new teacher. Jake. _Jake_. What about Jake? I… I… I had just seen Jake. He was real. I loved him. Our love was real. What had just happened? I wanted to run out of this classroom and into his arms, and make my mind and body remember Jake.

"Swan, Isabella." I cringed. Yes, that was my name. That was the name of Jake's girlfriend. That was the name of the person who Edward Cullen couldn't take his eyes off of. That was my name. "Here, but I go by just Bella, actually," I managed to squeak out as I informed my teacher, and Jake's best friend, that yes, this is Bella Swan. What's left of her at least.

I blushed hotly yet again when I realized he was still staring at me.


	4. Mere Mortals

**Disclaimer (applies to this chapter and also Chapters 1, 2, and 3 in this story): I do not own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does, and that's why we love her.**

EPOV

We had to do a lab in Biology. On the first day. Who did this new teacher think he was? The whole class groaned. Bella got her things ready for class as if deliberately making a show of it. She avoided looking my way, avoided like the plague the invisible line that divided our lab table into halves, and kept her shoulders slightly tensed. Such pretty, slender, elegant shoulders. They looked like they belonged on a ballerina. _Agh! Pull yourself together, Cullen._ As for myself, I was morbidly fascinated by her, and still could not keep my eyes from drifting periodically over her form. Why couldn't I pull myself together, distract myself and turn my gaze away like she easily had? When the lab materials had been passed around, I decided that it would eventually be more awkward if we didn't say anything to each other during this class, so I asked, "So you're Bella? You're Jacob Black's girlfriend?"

She quickly glanced at me before directing her gaze intentionally back at the lab materials. "Erm… yeah. Bella. And you're his friend, from Italy… Edward, right?"

"Yeah… So do you want to prep the slides and I'll focus the microscope?" I tried to focus on keeping the conversation light and appropriate for class. I mean, we will be lab partners for the whole year, and if I can't at least hold myself together long enough to force out basic conversation, I will be completely doomed.

"Sure." My ears pricked up each time Bella said anything, desperately trying to capture all the variations of tone in her voice. It was like music to me. I had to deliberately focus on slowing my breathing and heart rate. How did she have this effect on me? In just a few short minutes, every cell in body had become attuned to her every move. I had to keep up the casual talk, hoping that maybe, just maybe, if I could manage to pull the real world – the world that contained school and food and weekends and, oh yeah, her boyfriend who incidentally happened to be my best friend – into the space between us, I could keep myself from making a complete fool of myself.

I kept up the small talk – very small talk – throughout our lab, saying the basic stuff you need to say to your lab partner. Eventually class ended, and Bella hastily scooped up her things into her bag, glancing once at me before she turned and jogged down the aisle, catching up with Angela. Bella jogging, one of the most graceful sights I'd ever seen… _Stop it. Fuck._ They resumed their conversation as they headed out of the classroom. I sat in my chair, staring after her, _staring again_, a little longer than was really necessary. I shook myself out of my trance and shoved my book and notebook into my courier bag and walked to my next class, slowly, deliberately placing one foot in front of the other.

There had to be an easier way to handle this situation. Bella was Jake's girlfriend. Jake, my best friend. There was something different, something inexplicable about Bella that fascinated me, but what was I going to do? I couldn't avoid her. It's not like I could tell Jake I'd hang out with him only if Bella wasn't around. In fact, Jake would probably want us to become friends. He'd been flying so high when he was talking to me about her this morning. _Gee, I wonder why. It's not like she's absolutely the most gorgeous and perfect being on the planet or anything._

I made it through fourth period, steeling myself for lunch. I met up with Alice out in the courtyard, with her new boy toy Chad. At least I assumed that was his name, because she squealed it when he grabbed her ass. It was almost enough to lose my appetite. _Maybe I'd have a good reason to ditch lunch today_, I thought optimistically.

Somehow I managed to select something that looked relatively appetizing and chucked over a few bucks to the lunch lady. I faced the cafeteria, and while waiting for Alice to get through the line, I scoped out available spots to sit. Jake was waving me over, and I saw Bella glued to his side. My stomach felt like it dropped out of my body. _Oh my God, I can't fall apart now._ They're together. _Get over it, Cullen. He's my best friend, what the hell is wrong with me?_ He's happy, she's happy. That should be enough. But, just the thought that, if she hadn't been Jake's girlfriend, I definitely would have flirted with her in Biology, and maybe she would have flirted back – _no, can't think that way. So not helpful._

"Hey, Alice, have you seen Jake yet?"

"Hmm? What did you say, Edward?" She was all lovey-dovey, gazing into Chad's eyes and running her fingers over his chest muscles, giggling every so often when he would whisper things in her ear – _I'm gonna hurl._

"Have. You. Seen. Jake. Yet? He's waving us over to sit with him." I pointed to emphasize my point and get her to associate words with their meaning again.

"Yeah, let's sit with him."

She headed over, Chad in tow, and I followed, focusing on breathing properly.

I sat down across from Jake. _Show time._

BPOV

What had been wrong with me in Biology? I'd barely been able to reply with one-word responses to the small talk Edward had attempted during our lab. My level head had returned in English, after I had escaped from Edward's penetrating stare. I was actually able to contribute a little during the class about our summer reading assignment. It allowed me to collect my scrambled thoughts. I thought about the effect that Edward had had on me. It was just the shock of meeting someone who didn't completely exude small-towny-ness, I told myself. _What, Swan, a guy actually knows how to dress well, and you go weak at the knees?_ It was just the fact that it was the first day of school, getting into a new routine, not used to being away from Jacob for a couple hours, well, for _any_ length of time, really. _You were just off-balance, Swan. Now, you've gotten a handle on things. You know where all the pieces are. Next time you see him, you'll be with Jacob again, and you'll be on your own turf._

Jacob was leaning against the wall outside of my English room. I ran into his open arms and squeezed him and held him for an extra couple seconds, breathing in his scent and sighing it out. I lifted my head up to look him in the eye, and planted my lips on his. "Well, hello," he managed to get in between kisses, chuckling at my enthusiasm.

"Jake, why don't we have any classes together?" I asked him as we walked to the cafeteria, holding hands. "This morning seemed so long without you. I totally got spoiled by summer."

"I know, Bella. I missed you, too." He lifted his arm and wrapped it around my shoulder. He whispered in my ear, "We'll just have to make it up later somehow…"

I suppressed a giggle and lightly jabbed him in the ribs, but turned my head and gave him a quick peck on the lips, and sighed again. "I guess I could handle that."

We got our food and found an empty table to sit at. I snuggled into Jake's side and picked at my food. I felt Jake's body shift and I could tell he had spotted Edward and was waving him towards our table. _Oh, God, here we go._ I closed my eyes, held my breath and let it out slowly. I looked up and saw him pay for his food and wait for a short, black-haired girl and the jock she was attached to. _Must be Alice, already quite chummy with one of the soccer players._ They were all talking, and I saw Edward gesture toward us. Alice looked over, found Jake's face, nodded and picked up her speed. Edward focused his eyes on his lunch tray, and followed her.

Alice sat across the table from me, with Edward sitting down across from Jake. He looked at me quickly, and then greeted Jake.

"Edward, this is my girlfriend, Bell-" Jake started to introduce us.

I interrupted him, speaking softly into his ear – I was still cuddled up against him, clinging to him like a lifeline – but loud enough so that Edward heard me. "Um, actually, Jake, we already met. We have Bio together and there's a new teacher who took attendance. We ended up being lab partners, too…"

A beat too late, Edward chimed in, joking, "Yeah, Jake, we beat you to it. It'll give us a chance to get to know each other."

Edward prodded Alice, "Alice? Alice. This is Bella, Jake's girlfriend."

Alice looked up and then at me, smiled, saying, "Hey, Bella. It's nice to meet you. You guys look so cute together," as she reached across the table and squeezed my hand in welcome. I blushed and then tucked back into Jacob. Alice was then promptly distracted by Chad again, and she didn't resurface for the rest of lunch.

Then Jake and Edward started talking about cars and a concert coming up that they wanted to go to. Somehow, even though Edward's voice was deep and smooth, I found it easier to hold my composure around him when he was speaking. He was less prone to staring at me when he was forming sentences. I glanced at him a couple times, but mostly kept my hold secured on Jake. I felt the warmth of his body through his shirt and it grounded me further; my head was filled with his scent.

Edward was in the middle of telling a long story about something his brothers had done when Jake leaned in and whispered in my ear, too low for Edward to hear, "You seem a bit shy today. Do you not like Edward, or what?"

"No, it's just…" I searched for words, and could not for the life of my come up with an explanation for Jake.

"I'd really like for you guys to get along," he continued, whispering.

When Edward had finished with his story, I asked him, "So, Edward, you were three years in… Italy, it was, right? I've always wanted to travel. What was your favorite city?" I was amazed at how composed I managed to sound. Jake squeezed me in approval.

Edward looked at me for the first time in awhile, his eyes widened slightly when I addressed him, and then found his voice, "Uh, Pompeii… was really cool, too, with all of the excavations from when Mount Vesuvius erupted. But actually… I… uh, really enjoyed Venice. I've always liked being on the water, and the history of the place is absolutely fascinating, especially during the fifteenth century. My dad bought a boat that we kept there and visited the city often." I paid attention while he spoke of the times his family had spent in Venice, and his story intrigued me. When he was speaking, I didn't feel completely incapacitated by his presence, but instead got drawn in to his descriptions, imagining them in my head. Having the distraction of faraway places to think of, and Jake's body to hold on to, I could get past his ridiculously good-looking Edward was. I could remember that I loved Jake and that Edward was Jake's best friend.

As lunch was ending, Jake and Edward made plans to hang out later today. I stiffened as I realized my uninterrupted alone time with Jake was looking like it was off the table today. He glanced at me, and seeing me bite my lip, he renegotiated the time with Edward to meet up some time after dinner.

"Sure, Jake, no sweat. There are some things I need to sort out at home anyway. It's a disaster zone and Mom will probably want me to help rearrange the furniture for the tenth time since we got back." He chuckled at the scene awaiting him.

"Hey, that'll work. I can come over and lend a hand." He offered. "We can hang out at my place after school, 'kay?" He proposed, kissing my forehead. I smiled, relieved. I _had_ to claim my time with Jake. I needed fresh memories of him to ground me, now more than ever.

EPOV

Throughout lunch I had difficulty not imagining what it would be like if it were my chest that Bella was wrapped around. However, I did find that preoccupying myself with verbal responses distracted me enough to function, so I ended up being more talkative than usual. After the semi-awkward introductions, Jake and I got right back into the swing of things, talking about cars, and then he mentioned this concert in Seattle he just found out about and wanted to go to. Bella didn't say much, and I was silently grateful that I had one sense that I wasn't having to wrestle into submission.

When she asked me about Italy, Bella's voice sounded so lovely. As my brain stored those sounds away, my composure cracked a little, but I quickly recovered. I started prattling on about fifteenth century Venetian doges, but inside I was shocked and flattered that she seemed interested in what I had to say. It was unexpectedly easy, natural, spilling out details of my life to her. Though she was still attached to Jake like a Siamese twin, she managed to make me feel included and welcome_. Le Sigh. She couldn't have been a bitch to me, could she? That would have made it too easy. Or would it have made her hotter? I couldn't imagine her possibly being any hotter…_

Jake made plans to come over to my place after spending the afternoon with Bella. Lucky bastard.

**A/N: The next chapter will earn the M rating. I know you guys have been waiting for it, and so have I. Be not disheartened, loves.**


	5. Vixen and Lover

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does, and that's why we love her.**

**Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to rangernstephfan, who gave me my first ever review of my first ever fanfic. Reviews make me all warm and fuzzy in all the right places, and… inspire me… erm, to continue writing, that is. ;)**

**Alert: This chapter earns the M rating for the lemons. Lots of lemony goodness. Hope you enjoy.**

JPOV

I pulled into my makeshift garage and turned off the car. During the ride to my place, Bella and I had talked about how our classes went, which teachers we thought were going to be okay, and who we could tell were going to be total douches. We got out of the car, and I opened the hood of the Rabbit like usual, to check and see what needed a tune-up. She began wandering around the small room, picking up random items and inspecting them. She mentioned that Angela and Ben might be getting together soon. I had seen them walking outside after homeroom, and I told her that it had definitely looked like Ben was interested.

I had wanted to touch back with Bella about Edward. Edward and I would most likely be hanging out a good deal this year, and I wanted to make sure that Bella was okay with the situation. If I there was anything I could do so that my best friend and my girlfriend were on speaking terms, it would make things a lot easier. I asked her, "So, what do you think of Edward? It seemed like you were acting a little weird around him at lunch." I thought I heard the sound of a soft sigh, but since the wind was picking up, I couldn't be quite sure that's what it was.

"No, it's jus–" she broke off, then continued, "I mean, I don't really know him, and he's your best friend. I was just nervous he wouldn't like me. And I just really missed you. I mean, we spent literally the whole summer together. It was weird spending the whole morning without you."

"Yeah, I missed you, too. I understand how he might be intimidating. I guess he must have been feeling a little awkward, too. He was acting like the food on his tray was the most interesting thing since boobs were invented." Bella swatted my arm indignantly at my reference, and I chuckled. "I think we all just need to hang out a bit more, and then it'll be more comfortable."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right. It'll be fine, Jake. We just need to break the ice a little more. We do have Bio together, so I'm sure that will help." I heard some clanking noises and metal scraping together and tried to figure out what she was doing.

Bella and I had talked about our physical relationship, and we had agreed to wait to have full-on sexual intercourse. However, a lot of the time we got carried away, and well, at this point, we were basically sliding into "home base", in terms of the popular baseball analogy. We'd done everything short of that part of me actually being inside of that part of her. My makeshift garage was the place that we most often "slid". And all this time, she had never really showed an interest in the piles of random crap in here, so I was intrigued as to what she was doing, rustling around.

Changing the subject abruptly, she said with a different tone of voice, "You know, I've spent so much time in this garage that I should be able to help you out with something. Do you need any help, Jake?"

"Hmm?" I took my head out of the car's engine. Wiping my hands off with a rag and shutting the hood, I started to ask, "Help me with wh– ?" I stopped talking when I realized she was standing right behind me.

She feigned an innocent, helpful expression, and I could swear she batted her eyes at me. Then Bella suddenly grinned mischievously as she ran a single finger down my unfortunately clothed chest, which sent tingles down my spine. I was instantly hard. Seeing the immediate lust in my eyes, she lunged into my arms, our lips meeting as we tried to devour each other.

We began pawing at each other's clothes. Bella's hands tugged my shirt up and off of me, forcing us to break the kiss for a brief moment. We both growled at the loss of contact. With my shirt off, my hands flew to her waist, pulling her closer to me, and our kisses renewed in earnest. I groaned as her hips pressed against the bulge in my pants. With her right hand cupping my face, she laced the fingers of her left hand through the hair on the back of my head, setting off another round of tingles through my body that rushed toward my arousal.

I ran my hands up the side of her waist, lifting her shirt up over her breasts, grazing her hardened nipples through her lace bra on the way up. "Oh, God, Jake, you don't know what you do to me… I want you… I need you, right now." Her voice was desperate and hungry.

With her arms above her head, I kissed the area on top of each of her breasts that wasn't covered by her bra. Her breathing sped up, making her chest heave up and down. Throwing her shirt to the ground, I asked between kisses, "You wanted… to know… what you… could help me… with? Well, maybe… we can… help… each other…" I reclaimed her mouth with mine.

Shivering in pleasure, she whimpered, and spoke incoherently around my lips. "I think… oh, fuck, Jake. Yeah, I…" Her hands moved down my chest and started undoing the button of my jeans. I broke the kiss and quickly took over, pulling my zipper and jeans down in one movement and stepped out of them, with her mirroring me as she hastily peeled off her jeans. I straightened and picked her up in one swift movement, my hands grabbing her ass. She wrapped her legs around me; crossing her ankles behind my back, she aligned her clit with my erection and tilted her hips so that she rubbed against me. I inhaled sharply at the friction and new warmth on my cock. I pushed her up against the side of the Rabbit. Her breathing was labored now. I nibbled on her earlobe and down her neck. A groan escaped my lips.

"Oh, Bella," I growled in her ear. "Oh, God… I need you… now."

"Jake, please…. Ungh… yes, more… uh, more, more of you…" She panted.

I ran my hand down her body, from the side of her breast, past her ass and squeezed her thigh, then back up again, causing wave after wave of pleasure to course through her body. She arched her back and neck in pleasure as my hard length rubbed against her clit each time I moved my hips. She grasped my shoulders, hanging on, as I ran my lips up the front of her neck, her body trembling at my ministrations.

I undid the hooks of her bra and peeled it off, taking one of her nipples in between my teeth and sucking hard on it. Her hips bucked wildly at the new sensation and she let out a primal sound. I flicked the tip of my tongue back and forth, earning a long, low moan. Hearing Bella make that sound, I almost came right there. I kept the rhythm of my hips steady, and moved my mouth to her other breast. Bracing myself with one hand against the outside of the backseat window of the Rabbit, I fisted one hand through her hair. I groaned when I smelled a fresh burst of strawberries and increased the tempo of my hips.

At some point, the rain had started and the humid air filled with the sound of the droplets splattering on the roof of the garage. Loud cracks of thunder punctuated my thrusting against Bella's warm and dripping center, soaking her panties and my boxers completely through.

"Oh… my… God… Jake! Oh!"

My body shuddered at the sound of her voice. "Oh!... Bella! You feel so… _good_…"

"I love you so much… _fuck_… I'm gonna… I'm gonna… Jake…"

"Come for me, baby Bell. Come for me."

"Jake, I'm gonna… I'm gonna co– … Oh! Uh!" Right then a deafening clap of thunder pealed, reverberating through the ground. "Unngh!" All the muscles in her body tensed up. Her arms clamped me tighter to her than I already was. Her thighs spasmed, pulling my hips into her so forcefully that my orgasm followed hers in short order.

"Oh, God, Bella. I love you. So much." My knees weakened slightly. I laid her back against the window of the Rabbit for support, still slightly rocking my hips against her as waves of pleasure rolled through me.

After she came, her head slumped forward and rested on my shoulder, her arms wrapped around my neck so she wouldn't fall. Her body was limp against mine, basking in the wake of her climax. I secured my arms around her ribcage in a basic, comforting hug. "I mean it, Bells. I love you," I whispered in her ear.

"Jake, I want to feel you, your mouth, on me. I want you there." Her voice was low and vulnerable now.

I opened the backseat door of the Rabbit and carefully lowered Bella so that she lay on her back. Her arms released my neck and she rested them above her head. She had her eyes closed and a look of exhausted happiness on her face. There she was, laid out in all her splendor before me. I was blown away. _My God, she is gorgeous._

I reached for her panties and peeled them slowly down her legs. I put my hand on her inner thigh and slowly pushed it sideways. Bella moaned softly.

I knelt on the ground of the garage with Bella's knees hooked over my shoulders. Her thighs were resting on my biceps while my forearms and hands curled back around to hold her hips down against the seat. I placed my tongue on her outside lips and forced it to go deeper, parting her sweet, wet warmth. _God, she tasted amazing._ I licked up and down, from her clit to her opening. I sucked on her clit, then plunged my tongue into her. I felt a tremor ripple through her body as she was moving toward another climax.

I massaged her clit with my hand as I moved my tongue in and out of her faster and faster. She was breathing heavily and moaning my name, "Ohh, Jacob… Oh, uh, uhh…." Her inner muscles clenched fast and tight around my tongue, and her thighs clenched around my ears. She placed her hand on top of mine, our fingers interlacing as she came on my tongue.

Her thighs relaxed, but I stayed between them, breathing in deeply the heady scent of her arousal. Her breathing slowed, and she sat up. I straightened up as well. Bella gently placed her hands on the sides of my face. I could see love and adoration in her eyes. She kissed me chastely with her lips closed and contentedly let out a deep breath. _I could do this, be here like this with her, everyday, all day._

With the rain, the air had turned chilly. Now that our heart rates were returned to normal, I felt it, so I stood up and pulled her out of the car. We both got dressed again, but only after we both assessed our underwear situation, each deciding to go commando. Bella shoved hers in her pocket, and I wadded my boxers up and tucked them under my arm.

The rain had slowed to a drizzle. We walked towards my house, hand in hand. Bella excused herself to the bathroom to freshen up, grabbing a plastic baggie from the kitchen on the way. I deposited my boxers in my room, and went back out into the kitchen. My dad was over at the Clearwaters tonight, so I started dinner for just the two of us. Finding only the boxed macaroni and cheese, I resolved to keep the kitchen better stocked. Bella came out of the bathroom, darted over to her book bag, and then joined me in the kitchen. She fixed us a salad, smiling and shaking her head at the box of macaroni and cheese. We sat down to eat in the living room, her on the couch and me on the floor, my shoulders between her knees with my back against the couch. I switched the TV on to one of our favorite sit-coms. We ate, laughing at the characters and chatting about our favorite episodes. She absent-mindedly ran her fingers through my hair. I brought our empty plates back into the kitchen, and rinsed them off quickly in the sink. I went back out to Bella, and we both laid on the couch, spooning and watching TV. Our legs entwined and my hand found her stomach under her shirt, my fingers drawing patterns on her skin. She leaned her head back to lay it on my chest. We just lay there for awhile, content in each other's embrace. My world was filled with the scent of strawberries, and it was good.

Two episodes later, I got up and reminded Bella that, although I could barely stand to make my feet move away from her, I had made plans to go over to the Cullens' place tonight. I drove her home and walked her to the door. Bella's dad Charlie must have heard us arrive, because he opened the door as I was kissing her goodnight.

"Jake." Charlie acknowledged me with a parentally suspicious look on his face, his hand subconsciously resting on his hip at about the level of where his holster would have been.

"Hello, Charlie." I removed my lips from Bella, a sheepish look on my face, but I kept my arm around her waist. "How are you doing this fine evening?"

"Better, now. Would you like to come in?" Charlie asked, not sounding like he was hoping I'd say yes. Charlie had never had a problem with me; in fact, Bella had told me once that Charlie had said he was much happier that she was with me, rather than any of the "other boys in town". It's just that his stern, protective side was instinctively triggered whenever he observed Bella's and my public displays of affection.

"I'll have to take a rain check on that one, Charlie," I politely refused, attempting to lighten the mood. "I'm actually headed over to the Cullens' place." He looked at me quizzically, one eyebrow raised. "Did you know, they're back from Italy. Dr. Cullen's done with his fellowship, and Edward and Alice are finishing up senior year here."

He harrumphed. Bella rose up on her tip-toes and quickly pecked me on the cheek. "Bye. Love you."

"Love you more."

"Pick me up in the morning?"

"Sure, sure. Same time." I squeezed her waist one last time, and headed out to the Rabbit. I heard Bella groan in exasperation behind me.

"Geez, Dad. You like Jacob. Do you have to be that rude?"

As Bella was shutting the door, I heard, "I asked him in, didn't I?"

"Ugh."

I started the engine and glanced back. Bella had turned to face the street and was about to close the door when she looked towards me. I was confused by the look I saw on her face. There was a pain there that I hadn't seen this afternoon. She bit her lip and it looked as though she sighed.

When her eyes found mine, her eyes instantly brightened. She grinned, waved at me like she had across the courtyard this morning, and finally shut the door.

I grinned back and then drove over to the Cullens' house.

**Author's Note: I am going to be on vacation next week, and I hope to update again before I go since I do not know if I'll be able to write when I'm away. Just know that I haven't abandoned you, and the story will continue. I'm as excited as you are. (Well, maybe you're more excited than me… Let me know in a review? Shameless Plug Number Two.)**


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